Pope Francis has once again spoken up in defence of the family, insisting that it should be a key focus for all following the Synod of the Family convoked last October. Answering journalists’ questions, the Pontiff moved past the media focus on Communion for remarried Catholics to state: “‘Do you not realise that that is not the important problem? Don’t you realise that instead the family throughout the world is in crisis? The family is the basis of society. Do you not realise that the young don’t want to marry? Don’t you realise that the falling birth rate in Europe is something to cry about?..These are the big problems.”
Almost one third of Irish children are raised in materially deprived households, a new study published by UNICEF has revealed. Further, Ireland has the fourth worst income inequality in the EU ranked just below Britain, Belgium and Bulgaria.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has described as “nonsense” calls to remove the traditional prayer before the commencement of Dáil business. Reacting to the call, made by Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy as attempts to form a new government continue, Deputy McGrath said: “This is pure shenanigans for the sake of publicly I think. It’s a distraction from the real issue.”
As a Bill to legislate for physician-assisted suicide was placed before the Canadian Parliament, pro-life groups urged legislators to vote ‘No’ on a law they describe as “dangerous”. The long anticipated Bill C-14 will now be discussed by elected officials with a June 6 deadline for a final decision.
The Pro Life Campaign (PLC) has called on parties currently negotiating the formation of the next government to set aside the ‘Citizens’ Convention’ on abortion proposed by Fine Gael. “It is high time that the acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny took this idea off the negotiating table so that the question of a referendum is no longer allowed to further delay the vital process of setting up a new Government,” a spokesperson for the PLC said.
